Description

Turntablism emerged in the mid-'90s as a call for DJs to reassert their prominence in hip-hop. Led by innovative crews like the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, the Beat Junkies and the X-ecutioners, they emphasized the performance elements of DJing on two turntables, from scratching and cutting to blending. They claimed a lineage that extended to hip-hop's pioneers such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. DJ Babu gave the movement a name --turntablism -- and by the turn of the century it was an unlikely global phenomenon, yielding stars like Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow and Mix Master Mike. The late Texas producer DJ Screw wasn't a part of this trend, but he may be the most influential DJ of the era, as his penchant for slowing records down for a "syrupy" tone continues to reverberate through popular culture. As DJs switched from turntables to computer software like Serato and Final Scratch, turntablism's popularity waned, and hip-hop DJs once again receded into the background. However, heroes like "skratch" innovator DJ QBert and mashup pioneer Z-Trip continue to headline shows around the world.